Thursday, August 14, 2008

It Makes My Skin Crawl!!

It really does. I don't know if I am a germ-a-phobe or not...I guess somewhat! Since there are just the two of us, my husband and I eat out almost everyday, so we see the workings of a lot of restaurants! I probably think this is not a very good thing!

First of all, I am sure some people think we have just had an argument because many nights we can go through an entire meal without saying much, if anything, to each other! But, that is because we have been married forty-three years and just being together is speaking in it's own way to us. We had worked side by side together for about twenty-five years which meant we were together 24-7/365 days a year. We loved it...while I don't recommend it for most...and still miss it since we moved to Florida and had to take separate jobs! But having been together...our desks were so close we could touch each other by reaching out...we really don't need to speak to hear, if you get what I mean. Anyway, by not chattering much at times, we have ample time waiting for our meal to look around and notice what is happening around us. And by doing that, conversation usually ensues!!

Have you ever noticed that they wipe off the tables with the same rag that they wipe the chairs off with? That grosses me out! I mean, people have sat I don't know where through the day...have sat their rears down on the chair, leaving whatever kind of germs you can think of on that chair, and now they are wiping all those seats off and then using the same rag to wipe my table off. Give me a break. I try hard to ignore that!! (And have you ever looked and smelled that rag? I think they have used the same one for days on end!!!)

But before they wipe the table off with that what I call contaminated rag...they first have to rid...or as Ohioans say..."red"...the used...or dirty...dishes from the table. So they pick up everyone's silverware and plates with their bare hands with no caution whether or not they touch the part that has been in people's mouths. Okay. So much for that. But then they pick up the glasses. Have you EVER watched??? They stick their bare fingers in the glasses and pick up not only the glasses but all the germs which whoever drank out of that glass were carrying around with them!! YUK!!! Then might I add...they don't wash their hands, but go to the kitchen and carry out MY food with those germs being laid down on the edge of my plate!!! Oh Lordy!!! Try not to think about that #2!!! LOL Not to mention they have stacked the dishes up on their arms with the bottoms of the plates...which have sat and/or slid across only God knows where...touching the food on the plate under it! LOL

Ummm. This gets better! What about all those condiment bottles??? You know it is bad enough when I see them "marrying" them. Do you know what that is? It is when they empty one bottle into another to make it full and throw the empty away. Now think about this. (In some states it is illegal.) You keep emptying one bottle into another and the contents in those bottles can become older and older...rancid is the word. Lots of botulism build-up because you keep adding new on the top of old and so on and so on...until someone gets sick that night and doesn't know from what!!! And get this...one day I was watching while I was eating, and I look over to see a man use the ketchup and then, get this...are you ready?....he licked the rim all the way around with his tongue and then put the lid on and sat it back on the table!!! I can barely bring myself to use ketchup off a table anymore!!!

Oh! One other little thing while I am venting!!! Have you ever watched the waitresses or waiters set the tables? They always...always...pick the silverware up by the part you are going to put in your mouth or on your food!!! Doesn't seem like much until you realize they just took money at the cash register just before that!!! And we all know about the dirty money!!! *sigh*

Now while I am no germ-a-phobe like Howey Mandel...this kind of stuff can really make my skin crawl!! Maybe the management needs to do a little training! Yet, maybe the management doesn't know about germs in the first place. But this happens in almost every restaurant.

How about you? Have you seen any things like this happen where you eat?

I have pretty well learned to not look around so much or at least not think so much! It helps!!

My thought for the day

Enjoy

4 comments:

Little Ole Me said...

Yuck! I don't even want to think about it. You know what a 'germaphobe' I am. You know, the one who wipes off shopping cart handles with disinfectant wipes before using the cart. LOL.

Anonymous said...

So basically your saying the curb side is the way to go? :p

Terry said...

ok Barb---I'm convinced, I'm gonna quit eating out. Gross!!! I know what you mean about that nasty rag. Yuk!!

Robyn said...

I'M NEVER EATING OUT AGAIN!! I'm going to stay home the rest of my life!! LOL!! I actually was a waitress for a long time in different restaurants and there are many precautions you didn't mention. I think you have just been to the ones who don't follow any!! :) We used clean, hot bleachd rags to wipe every table. I would always start with the top of the table and then end with the chair. Then the rag would go into the hot bleachy bucket ready for the next table. :)